


Escape

by Anonymous



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 23:34:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12468464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Almost immediately the door was flung open and Arthur burst threw it. Merlin hung back as Arthur turned and refastened the deadbolt and then something caught his eye and Merlin's entire world stopped.





	Escape

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pugglemuggle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pugglemuggle/gifts).



> Hi pugglemuggle, here is your Merlin Trick gift. I really hope you like it, I saw your like of zombies and post-apocalyptic fic and couldn't resist!

“We’re running out of food.” 

Merlin raked his fork through his bowl ofcold baked beans and didn’t answer as Arthur broached the subject they’d both been avoiding.

“Merlin.”

“I heard you.” Merlin had spent the last few days looking at their dwindling supply and trying not to think about what it meant.

They fell back into an awkward silence. 

“We need to make a plan or we won’t survive much longer.”

“I know.” Merlin wasn’t an idiot – he knew that Arthur was right, but Merlin had been thinking about this since they'd holed up in here and still hadn't come up with a solution that would get them out of here alive. 

“Merlin.” Arthur repeated with a sigh.

Merlin finally snapped. “I _know_. But what do you want us to do? I can’t just magic us up something to eat; I’m not actually a wizard.”

“I’ll go out and look for food. Maybe I’ll be able to find some in one of the houses nearby.” Arthur had clearly been thinking about this for a while as well, and had broken their unspoken agreement not to talk about what was going on outside.

“Go out?” Merlin spluttered. “It’s suicide! You know what’s out there.” He waved a hand towards the taped up windows that gave some meagre protection from the creatures lurking outside. Or at least that stopped them from seeing in, although it did nothing to block the moans that had become the background to their every waking moment.

“And starving to death here isn’t?” Arthur shot back. “We can’t stay here any longer, Merlin. It’ll kill us just as surely as they will.” He gestured at the door. Neither of them had put a name to what would be waiting for them outside, it still seemed ridiculous, like a nightmare that Merlin couldn't wake up from.

“They'll tear us apart the second we step out of the door!” 

“Then what do you suggest we do? Sit around and fiddle with that damn radio in some vain hope that there’s a response?”

“Someone might come.” Merlin muttered, more out of principle than anything else. He didn’t have as much faith as he’d had when they’d first unearthed the radio but it had been weeks without so much as a crackle of static.

“We don’t know anyone that’s still alive.” Arthur threw down his fork and stood up. “Everyone we know is dead.” The ‘or worse’ was left unspoken. 

“We survived.” By blind luck more than anything else. They’d both been spared from the initial wave of infection, the one that had reportedly killed more than half the population before the news stopped transmitting. After the dead had stopped staying dead, Arthur and Merlin had tried to run for safety but there had been nowhere to go. They’d broken into an empty house and boarded themselves inside. That had been almost a month ago. Merlin didn't like to think about what had happened to the previous occupants.

But if they’d managed it, then maybe others could have too – Merlin wouldn’t let himself believe otherwise. “We can’t be the only ones.” Otherwise what was the point of carrying on?

“If there are others out there, we need to go out and look for them.” Merlin started to protest but Arthur held a hand out to stop him. “How many batteries have you got left? When you run out that radio will be useless, and without food nothing else will matter anymore.”

Arthur sat back down and looked Merlin straight in the eye. “Tomorrow I’m going out to search for some supplies.”

“And then?” Even though Merlin already knew.

“I’m not waiting for death to come to us. There’s a car in the garage and I’ve found the keys. If there are people still alive out there then we need to go out and try to find them,” Arthur looked at him desperately, “come with me.”

As soon as Arthur had started talking, Merlin had known that he'd cave. The thought of leaving the relative safety of the house terrified him, but the thought of losing Arthur and being left alone was much, much worse. 

Meeting Arthur’s gaze, Merlin nodded slowly. He swallowed and tried to keep his voice steady. “All right, we’ll go.”

Arthur leaned over the table and kissed him. “Thank you.” He actually looked relieved and it brought home to Merlin how hard it was for Arthur to remain cooped up in here.

They went back to eating in silence. Merlin refused to let himself that about what could happen to them out there when they left. But that didn’t leave him much to focus on except for the food in front of him. Not for the first time, Merlin ended up thinking of all things he could do it he really did have magic. They would definitely be eating better.

“Do you think anywhere still has power?” Merlin asked as he forced down another mouthful of baked beans. Urgh, they were awful hot and almost unbearable cold.

“If they do, then we’ll find them. I could kill for a hot shower.” Right now all they had was a bathtub that Arthur had filled before the water had switched off. Merlin had used bleach from the cupboard to stop things mould from growing but it was long cold and left them smelling like a swimming pool. 

“Or central heating.” They'd been okay during the summer, but autumn was coming and the temperature was dropping. Something else they were going to have to worry about if they survived much longer.

“Or TV.”

Merlin laughed. “A TV? What would it show?”

“I don’t know – DVDs, old films?” Arthur mock glared at him. “You’re ruining my moment.”

“Long as there are no horror films, had enough of that to last a lifetime.” Merlin countered.

“No argument here.” Arthur pushed his empty bowl away. He glanced up at the attic skylight. “There’s a couple of hours of daylight left, what do you want to do?”

“I found a pack of cards in one of the drawers earlier.” In their first days here, Merlin had felt awkward going through the things of the people that had lived here before. He’d even taken down the photos so he didn’t keep imagining what they’d been like and where, or what, the family might be now. The longer they’d been here, the more desensitised he’d become to it but there were still some places he was only just beginning to explore. "Fancy a game?" 

“Sure. You deal?” Not like there were many other things to do.

Merlin fetched the pack and dealt out the hands. They played until it got dark but neither of them could concentrate on the game. Instead Merlin’s mind kept conjuring up images of what could be lurking outside. He hadn’t looked since they’d taken refuge here and covered all the windows but what he had seen in the early days of the infection was enough to fuel his nightmares.

Arthur seemed more serious too. His expression was determined as he looked through his hand and Merlin suspected it had nothing to do with the cards. Arthur could be a stubborn arse sometimes and wouldn’t back down once he’d made a decision, even if he was scared. And Arthur was right, without a rescue their food would only last a few more days. 

Once the daylight had faded they headed to bed to avoid drawing attention to the house by switching on lights. It was dark as Merlin slid under the covers but he could just make out Arthur staring up at the ceiling and could almost feel the tension pouring off him. Merlin knew Arthur well enough to know that he wouldn’t admit to being nervous and Merlin didn’t want to spend the night fighting. It could be the last one they had.

__

At the sound of the first knock, Merlin reached for the shotgun. By the time he'd made his way to the door, it had become frantic. One hand gripping the the gun tightly, Merlin leaned forward and flicked the lock open. Almost immediately the door was flung open and Arthur burst threw it. Merlin hung back as Arthur turned and refastened the deadbolt and then something caught his eye and Merlin's entire world stopped.

Door sealed, Arthur turned to him and dropped his rucksack. "What the hell, Merlin?"

Shaking his head in shock, Merlin used the barrel of the gun to gesture at the blood dripping down Arthur's arm. Arthur slowly followed his gaze and paled as he saw it.

Trying hard not to let his fear show, Merlin asked, “Did they bite you?”

“No. They didn't get me. They didn't get close enough."

Merlin wasn’t sure who Arthur was trying to convince. He desperately wanted to believe him but you couldn’t be too careful. “Show me.” 

“Merlin – ” Arthur started. 

Arm trembling, Merlin raised the gun and pointed it straight at Arthur. “Show me.” 

Arthur gave an exaggerated sigh and kicked off his trainers. In jerky movements, he pulled off the rest of his clothes and stood in front of Merlin with his arms splayed. Silently praying, and keeping hold of the gun, Merlin looked Arthur over for any bites. There was a graze on his forearm but Merlin couldn't see any sign of teeth marks.

With a rush of relief, Merlin flicked the gun safety back on and placed it on the stairs behind him. As soon as it was safely down, he practically launched himself at Arthur, wrapping his arms around Arthur's neck and pushing their lips together. After a brief second, Arthur returned the kiss, grappling for control as Merlin satisfied his nerves that Arthur was still alive.

They finally parted when they ran out of breath, but Merlin kept clinging to Arthur. Merlin worked up the courage to whisper. “What's it like?”

"I met some other survivors." Merlin felt like he cry with relief. It wasn't just them left out here.

"And they're okay?" They were alive at least, which had to count for something.

Arthur nodded. “They’re making a break for it.”

“To where?” 

“There’s a government facility. If you can prove you're not infected then they'll let you in. The army is protecting it."

A shot at safety, to see other people again. Something Merlin had been dreaming about since they infection began. "We have to go.”

"It's dangerous out there, Merlin. There's," Arthur paused, "I think the world has changed forever."

"Then you're right, staying here is pointless. They’ll get us eventually.” The thought of leaving the relative safety of the house still terrified Merlin but it was there no choice.

“I'm always right, Merlin, one day you'll appreciate that." Arthur grinned. "That’s why I found these.” Arthur waved a set of car keys. “The car’s in the garage. We leave first thing.” 

Their chances of making it out if they were seen weren't great; they didn’t have enough bullets to fight a mob and neither of them had much practice shooting. It was a risk that could well not pay off. If this was their last night on earth and Merlin didn’t want to spend it thinking about his death. Not when his prat was standing in front of him in his underwear. 

Closing the distance between them, Merlin tugged Arthur's boxers down and wrapped his fingers around his cock. He used his free hand to pull Arthur up against him, determined to push all thoughts of the outside from his mind.

It didn't take Arthur long to get with the program quickly enough and he started pulling at Merlin's shirt. “You’re wearing far too many clothes.” 

They didn’t make it back up to the relative safety of the attic bedroom. Instead, Merlin tugged Arthur down onto the sofa as they shed their remaining clothes. Taking a moment to make sure that the guns were in reach, Merlin straddled Arthur's thighs and bent to take his cock into his mouth.

Arthur bucked up into the heat with a gasp that made Merlin grin. Running his tongue over the slit before working his way down, Merlin looked up and focussed on Arthur's face as he took him apart. 

It didn’t take long to bring Arthur over the edge, and he came with Merlin's name on his lips. Arthur tugged Merlin down to lie across him, his hands reaching out to return the favour. Merlin closed his eyes, blocking out the moans from outside and concentrated on the feel of Arthur’s body beneath his, of Arthur’s fingers as they jerked him. He clung to Arthur as his own orgasm overtook him.

Afterwards, neither of them had the energy or desire to move and they fell asleep tangled in each other’s arms. Tomorrow they would go, and Merlin would have his first glimpse of what the world had become. But now they knew there were others out there, Merlin finally felt the smallest flicker of hope that they would make it through this.


End file.
